Japan’s Shinzo Abe wants a ‘space self-defence force’ to protect the country’s satellites

The PM broached the idea of extending the country’s militaristic reach to outer space at an annual gathering of top brass in Tokyo

It comes amid an intensifying race among world powers such as the US, Russia and China to develop technologies in the domain

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Japan already has a civilian space programme which has successfully launched a number of satellites into orbit. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 4:57pm, 17 Sep 2019Updated: 4:57pm, 17 Sep 2019

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday that Japan’s existing Air Self-Defence Force may “evolve into the Air and Space SDF” in the future as he stressed the need to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities in outer space.

Referring to the planned launch of a space operation unit inside the ASDF in 2020, Abe said at an annual gathering of some 180 high-ranking SDF officers at the Defence Ministry it is “not a pipe dream” for Japan to have such combined forces.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reviews an honour guard before attending the gathering of senior officers at the Defence Ministry in Tokyo. Photo: EPA

The envisaged unit will be installed amid the intensifying race among major powers such as the United States, Russia and China to develop technologies in the domain.

The new troops will be tasked with monitoring radio interference, space debris and other countries’ satellites that can pose threats to Japanese surveillance satellites orbiting Earth. They are initially expected to be staffed with about 70 personnel.

An artist's rendering of Japan’s Astro-H satellite that was intended to observe black holes and galaxy clusters. Contact was lost with the satellite in 2016, a month after launch. Photo: EPA

The ministry has asked for 52.4 billion yen (US$484 million) from the next budget to strengthen its outer space capability, including the establishment of the space operation unit.